Dear brothers and sisters,
what do these two chapters have to do with each other? We have here two kings who started off well but could not finish the race. Perseverance is a trait that is emphasized throughout the New Testament (Romans 5:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:12; Hebrews 10:36; 12:1; James 1:12)
These two chapters also bear a striking resemblance in structure. You have an introduction in 24:1-3 and 25:1-4 that gives us a hint of what is to come. Then you have the generally good part of the king’s reign in 24:4-14 and 25:5-14, then you have a few transition verses in 24:15-19 and 25:14-16 where a prophet warns the king, and then you have a sad end of each king in 24:20-27 and 25:17-28. You also will see that at the beginning of this section the temple is rebuilt and restored and the end the temple is emptied (25:24).
There are also similar themes that we have seen come up a few times in terms of many people being defeated by a few people. Both kings ultimately fell because of pride. The great and ultimate sin of humanity.
Persevere in obedience.
- Joash the people pleaser
- The good – temple building under spiritual leadership
- The bad – Idolatry under worldly influence.
- Amaziah the half-hearted
- The Good
- The bad
Joash the people pleaser
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. Remember he had been hidden in the temple, from infancy, and then at the age of seven Jehoiada had presented him as the true king of Judah. Although if you ask a seven-year-old they may not think so there is still a lot to learn about life at that age. And at that age one is easily influenced. Good mentors or bad mentors can make all the difference in the world. Dear young children follow good examples, and never stop seeking out those who stand out for their humble service in the Lord. Thankfully, he has one of the best mentors one could ask for. Jehoiada. We read in 24: 2 “Did right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.”
In Chronicles when the priesthood and kingship work together, good things happen. We see this in verse 11, “The kings secretary and the officer of the chief priest…” and in v 12, “The king and Jehoiada…” and in verse 14, “The king and Jehoiada...” The people worship and are ruled well. Obviously as New Testament believers we see this idea us driving us forward in redemptive history to the perfect unity of kingship and priesthood in our Lord Jesus Christ. In a sense the priest was also acting as king in this situation, at least till little Joash grew up.
Now it is heartbreaking that it does not just say, “Joash did right in the eyes of the LORD,” and nothing more. The fact that the author added a qualifier gives us a foreshadowing of things to come. He is obedient because of someone else’s influence; this is not an obedience from the heart. It seems to be a people pleasing obedience. Nevertheless, Jehoiada’s influence has an impact. One faithful person can have a tremendous influence on a person’s life.
Having grown up in the house of the Lord Joash would have seen what a mess it was. And he commands the priest and Levites to gather money to restore the house of the Lord? Joash calls the people to give to the house of the Lord, according to the law of Moses. We see the chronicler often referring to Moses, because he wants the people to see that there return from exile in Babylon is a new beginning, a new Exodus. There history and law find her origin there. There identity is firmly grounded in history.
The tax was not right away collected, and although there is more information in kings all it says here is that the Levites did not act quickly. Generosity to temple building is often seen as a sign of the people commitment to God. Before people walk out of the church, they have long since walked with their money and found better places to invest. This was the problem with the post exilic people who were living in paneled houses while the temple lay in ruins (Malachi 1).
Here must the funding for worship come from? According from the law of Moses, from ALL the people. So after a while, the king summons the priest and they work out a plan, to not go to to all the people, but have the people come to the temple to bring their tax. And what happens? Verse 10, “And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.” And the temple was restored.
Just before we continue few points.
- “…all the people rejoiced…” We don’t normally associate a tax with rejoicing, do we? Whenever a minster mentions the tithe, or 10% people begin to shrink in their seats. Dear church the Word of God says giving is both a duty and a joy for the Christian. God uses the resources he has first given us to involve us in the building of the Temple. In the building of his church. And this is the duty of all Israel – the whole church. Giving us reason to rejoice! Why? Because behind it stand the understanding that we have received everything in Christ.
- Temple building is the initiative of the king. Ultimately of course this temple is the initiative of the king just as it was with David and Solomon. So also this church is the initiative and project of the Lord Jesus Christ – the one who now sits on the throne of David.
- Accountability. When it comes to the handling of the money there is tremendous accountability and unity between king and priesthood. People were as corrupt then as they are now. And that is why there had to be a system of accountability. We read about it in verse 11. In this way they knew that the work could go on.
Amazing… the future looks bright, under the leadership of Jehoiada and Joash. Its amazing what the influence of one Godly person can have on someone. Godly parents you have no idea the impact you may have by rasing your children in the fear of the Lord.
But at the end of the day, it is the heart that matters. All the mentoring and accountability in the world will only help you so far. It will not change the heart ultimately. And the true self will come out.
And for Joash. it seemed to be that he was a people pleaser. He was obedient under Jehoiada, and when he passed, he turned away from God. Who are you really living for? The will of others? So that others in the church can see how good you are? Or does it truly flow deep from the heart. Who are you here to please? When all is stripped away Are you still going to listen to what your you fathers and mothers in faith taught?
Look at what happens to Joash after Jehoiada dies in verse 15-16. The one who had grown up in the house of the LORD, and had rebuilt the house of the Lord, now abandoned that house. Forsook it. Rejected it. The opposite of seeking. That vital word in Chronicles. What did he reject? He rejected the need for the Temple with all its symbolism of the cosmic reign of God, the personal relationship with God under the name, 'the LORD', by which he is known to Israel, and the tradition handed down from the fathers, David and Moses.
All that Jehoiada had risked his life for, all that Joash himself had been preserved for, and all that Joash has accomplished, is forfeited – thrown away. In a sense he is throwing away all that has been done up to this point. The word idol here is only used here, and in the time of Saul. He is reverting all the way back to the time of Saul! Little wonder that the 'fury' of God (1 Chron. 27.24) is unleashed against a king who at one stroke has undone his own and his mentor's life's work and has taken his people back to a state of primordial alienation and guilt (1 Chron. 21.3).
What happens. Verse 17, “now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king.” The princes who rejoiced to give to the temple in verse 10 come to pay homage to Joash. No longer was God and the worship of his name central, but the princes came to pay Joash homage. A word that connotes worship.
And instead of correcting them he listens to them, and they start to abandon the house of the Lord, and worship other gods.
But look at the grace of God. Again, and again and again the word of the Lord comes to them to repent and bring them back to the Lord. The word comes to call people to repent not to condemn! The prophets were witnesses that testified against them, but the people and the king would not listen. Instead of humbling himself and seeking the LORD with all his heart he shuts the mouth of this prophet by killing him in the temple! The place where they were not willing to killed wicked Athaliah he kills a righteous man!
He had forgotten who he was and where he came from. He had forgotten the LORDS goodness and grace in his life through Jehoiada, and in forgetting murders Jehodais son, who tries to call him back.
Church of the living God, how quickly we forget! Each generation needs to be reminded anew.The past is the key to their future. The promise and grace of God must drive us into the present. Verse 22, “thus the king did not remember the kindness…” O that we would always remember the kindnesses of the LORD.
As if the Lord hears the prophets last cry, almost immediately the people are overrun by the Syrians. Which results in the death of the leaders! The writer makes it clear that this is the LORDs direct punishment. With just a few men Syria overpowers a very great army! The church can look powerful and great, but be spiritually bankrupt and therefore helpless against the enemies arrayed against her.
This whole story reminds us of the warning of Isaiah the prophet, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore, you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore, your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.” Look at how quickly and easily this army who was “but few in number (v. 24)”, destroyed the great and mighty army of Judah. Just when we think the church is secure in a country, we had better watch out.
At the end of the story this people pleaser is murdered in his bed, possibly by the very servants who he had tried to please by worshipping other gods. Perseverance to the end depends on obedience from the heart. And not a halfhearted obedience either. Which brings us to our second point.
Amaziah the Half-hearted.
Have you ever met anyone that is not really willing to fully commit to anything? It seems like they are always going back and forth. They “um” and “ah” so long that in the end they never really have any strong convictions. Here we have such a person. Joash was committed, in the sense that he was all in on being influenced. But here we have a non-committed king. A people pleasing father will give birth to non-committed children.
We read in the introduction to his reign we read. “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but not with his whole heart.” The word here for whole is similar to the word shalom. To have shalom means to be wholehearted in the Lord. Remember 2 Chronicles 16:9? “The Lords eyes move to and fro on the earth, supporting those who are shelem in heart.” Because there is not shelem he cannot enjoy shalom.
Wholehearted devotion. That is what the Lord wants. A denial of self – and a commitment to follow him. Wherever that leads. That is what discipleship is. Wholehearted or halfhearted. What are you? At some point life will prove your heart.
Again, the introduction also foreshadows this king’s death in that the Lord will also kill him for his own sins, just as he kills the murders of his father for their sins, but not their sons. This is the idea of immediate retribution that the author wants to teach. As Jeremiah says, “Everyone shall die for his own inequity.” Let’s look at this king.
Th first hint of half-heartedness comes when it says that he hired men from Israel. He gathers all the troops of Judah according to the Law of Moses, and you think great! And then suddenly, we read “He hired 100,000 from Israel for 100 talents of silver.” NOOO, we think! Israel! Don’t you remember all your fathers like Jehoshaphat making alliances with Israel. It’s a mistake! A big one. So, he is halfhearted in his obedience and trust the Lord along with some help.
But the prophet comes and warns him against it. And again, he is halfhearted in his response. He does not obey right away, but thinks about the money. We read in verse 9 he asks, “But what about the money?”
Finances is the first thing that comes up when the prophet commands obedience. The prophet reminds him about the obvious. God owns all. 100 talents is nothing to HIM. He can give you much more! (v.9)
And then he finally sends them home. But his half-heartedness has consequences. In the end it is true if you are always a fence sitter no one will like you. And while he goes out to attack Edom in the next verses these guys that he hires are angry and raid all of the cities and towns of Judah as we read in v. 13. Nevertheless, God blesses his final obedience, and he reclaims Edom.
But this victory leads to his own downfall. He starts to worship the gods of the people he defeated. Now we might think this strange. But it was normal to thank the gods that you have defeated for betraying their own country.
And before you start chuckling, this is exactly what the church does when they backslide and start running after the gods of this age. Wealth, power, influence, fame, when we pursue strength in the church through public relations, and entertainment rather than the preaching! These gods have been defeated already once for all, and yet we can be tempted to worship these defeated gods if we are not wholly committed to the Lord.
And Just like in the last chapter we see a prophet who comes with a strong warning come from the Lord. And we see his half-heartedness shine again (If halfheartedness “shines”). On the one hand he does not want to kill this prophet like his father did, on the other had he does not want to listen to this prophet either. So he says, “STOP TALKING, so I don’t need to kill!”
He also asks the prophet, “who made you royal counselor.” Evidently just like Ahab he had some prophets on the payroll and he was not one of them. Being paid by the royal salary ensure that the king would only hear good things. This guy was obviously not on the royal payroll.
May no minister of the gospel ever be bound by money – but only preach the word always calling the people to repentance. To humility and dependence. Total dependance.
There is no such thing as a halfhearted Christian. Once the holy Spirit comes to dwell within us there is not a corner of our life that is off limits! Lay all of it before him! Persevere then in faith beloved to the end with your whole beings. And you do so by continually hearing the word of the Lord and turning to him.
This king does not do so and look at what happens. In his pride he does not heed any warnings from Israel. It was Judah supposed to be warning Israel, but here we have Israel warning Judah. It is almost as if the rolls have reversed. In Chapter 13 you will remember it was Judah that warned Israel to stay at home because they had abandoned the Lord. But here the king of Israel warns Judah who had just abandoned that Lord, to stay home.
Amaziah does not listen, because this was from the LORD. V. 20, “But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom. The Lord again brings judgement. And Israel defeats Judah and destroyed part of Jerusalem and take all the gold and silver in the temple.
When the church turns to idols, the church gets gutted. The temple is completely emptied of all that is holy, and beautiful. it is stripped bare. When the church tries the world ways of doing things and turns to the worldly resources rather than finding their resource in the infinite God then it loses its beaty. It is gutted.
Here is a lesson for us from these two kings who is the one under whom you are learning. May it be the Holy Spirit of Christ. May your obedience not be based on pleasing anyone, the church, the pastor, your friends, or anyone, but may it come from heart devoted to Christ. And not halfway devoted, but fully devoted to him. giving your life up. Humbling yourself again and again.
How do you do that, to listen to the word of the LORD. God is constantly, faithfully calling the people to their God. You hear it every week. Listen. Trust and obey. For there is no other way,
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way;
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do;
Where He sends, we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Amen